Robert B. Parker's The Hangman's Sonnet

Jesse Stone, still reeling from the murder of his fiancée by crazed assassin Mr. Peepers, must keep his emotions in check long enough to get through the wedding day of his loyal protégé, Suitcase Simpson. The morning of the wedding, Jesse learns that a gala 75th birthday party is to be held for folk singer Terry Jester. Jester, once the equal of Bob Dylan, has spent the last 40 years in seclusion after the mysterious disappearance of the master recording tape of his magnum opus, The Hangman's Sonnet.

The Western Star

Sheriff Walt Longmire is enjoying a celebratory beer after a weapons certification at the Wyoming Law Enforcement Academy when a younger sheriff confronts him with a photograph of 25 armed men standing in front of a Challenger steam locomotive. It takes him back to when, fresh from the battlefields of Vietnam, then-deputy Walt accompanied his mentor Lucian to the annual Wyoming Sheriff's Association junket held on the excursion train known as the Western Star, which ran the length of Wyoming from Cheyenne to Evanston and back.

Publisher's Summary

Spenser earned his degree in the school of hard knocks, so he is ready when a Boston university hires him to recover a rare, stolen manuscript. He is hardly surprised that his only clue is a radical student with four bullets in his chest.

The cops are ready to throw the book at the pretty blond coed whose prints are all over the murder weapon but Spenser knows there are no easy answers. He tackles some very heavy homework and knows that if he doesn't finish his assignment soon, he could end up marked "D" -- for dead.

I've gone years without attempting the Spenser series. I decided to take up the task of trying to read all the books in the series in order. This book is a great start. Without spoiling anything, you get a sense of Spenser's humor while getting a great mini mystery. Yes the book is unabridged and great for a quick trip but the reader is wear it counts. At first his narration comes off as dull but you start to enjoy his interpretation of the character. The story is nothing revolutionary but the plus side is that you can tell Parker respects the likes of Chandler, Hammett etc...which adds to the feel of the novel.

Overall the book is a solid 4 out of 5 stars. Not the best, not the worst. If you're a completest like me then read it, if not still read it because it's the introduction of Spenser who is one of the greats in detective fiction.

Spenser's on campus in 1973 when one investigation leads to his being involved in a bogus murder charge against a coed as her only advocate and protector. The introductory novel of the series was a breath of fresh air at the time, and this one stands up as an excellent example of Spenser's best. It's also the one pre Susan Spenser novel and that alone would elevate it. This one however stands on it's own; the portrait of Terri's wealthy parents is the snapshot of the era. As are the professor and Terri's wannabe badass boyfriend. It's not a Spenser that's recognizable to those more familiar with his later works socially as he has sex with a mother and daughter in less than 24 hours. Iris Milford is another great character and it's interesting to watch Spenser and Quirk stand toe-to-toe ready to go. Even with a subpar narrator this one is a five star listen.

Ahh, 1973. The good old days BC (before cell phones), when the left-wingers and not the right-wingers were the ones calling for the overthrow of the government, and ostentatious consumerism was still considered tacky. A college secretary wears a purple suede garment that Spenser notes is ???too short to be a skirt and too long to be a belt.??? She has paired it with a shiny red shirt with wide lapels. I think I may have owned both those items once upon a time, although if I ever wore them together I???ve repressed the occasion.

In this First Chronicle of Spenser, the erudite but self-educated boxer-turned-cop-turned-tough-PI takes on effete academia at the height of the hell-no-we-won???t-go era. I enjoyed it, but it really is a period piece. I found it interesting to compare ???Godwulf??? with later Spenser books in which college administrations play a significant role??????Playmates,??? ???Hush Money,??? and ???Small Vices??? come immediately to mind, and I think there are others. Perhaps there???s a thesis there: ???The Evolution of the University in the Spenser Novels.???

Honestly, this is NOT great literature, and the setting is SO burned into the late sixties (pre-women's lib, post sexual revolution, mid-hippies) that I felt like I was in a time machine. But it is entertaining and archetypical private eye mystery material. Spenser is sensitive but macho, sexy but uninvolved, Scotch-drinking but health-conscious -- how can you not love this little bite of a book? Readers under 30 may not know what the heck is going on, but I enjoyed it.

This is the first book in the Spenser series: a private eye mystery. Nothing unusual about the plot or method of solving the mystery, and some of the motivations and events might be a little weak. But I’m really enjoying the series. He makes me laugh at unexpected times. It’s not a lot of laughs - maybe once every other chapter. But it’s rare for an author to get a laugh out of me. So it’s worth it.

I'm a big fan of Parker's "Jesse Stone" series, but I'd never listened to any of the Spenser books, so when I saw this one in the $4.95 sale I decided to give it a try. It was ok, I didn't struggle through it or anything, but it was a very basic detective story. I didn't like the reader, and it took me awhile to get used to him, but I eventually did. Can't really recommend this book, as I didn't like it that much, but I can't really knock it either as it was an ok listen. If you like basic detective stories, or you want to start the Spenser books from the beginning then this book isn't too bad a choice.

I've listened to MANY Robert Parker "Spenser" novels. I skip around, oddly. This was my least favorite narrator. Spenser is sarcastic, but witty. Funny. This Narrator just didn't capture that. There wasn't enough variance in voices of characters. So as much as I enjoyed the story, especially being the first in the series, it was challenging to listen to. I enjoyed Terry's character. Which Mr. Parker had explored that some more. His writing is so richly detailed. It's wonderful. The 70's decade, you can really feel it, see it, embrace it. Beautifully done as always.

What made the experience of listening to The Godwulf Manuscript the most enjoyable?

The story was definitely most enjoyable. The main character is great!

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Godwulf Manuscript?

Spencer has sex with both the suspect and her mother in the same day.

What does Michael Prichard bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I couldn't picture him as Spencer, he sounds a lot older. He does a good job at reading and he very clear. This is great for me because I always have trouble keeping up with what is happening in detective fictions and often have to go back, but its easy to take mental note with him reading.

Although I prefer Joe Mantegna's speaking voice for Spenser novels, this performer did an excellent job and I wasn't disappointed at all. I've read or listened to all the Spenser novels except the first 7, so by starting with the first Spenser novel, I thought I'd gain some "insight" into the characters. It's one thing to know Susan is his main squeeze, it's another to figure out how they became a couple. Overall, good listening and a wonderful beginning.

Fast paced, no nonsense, tightly written and witty. More gritty than the series Spenser for Hire which was based on this character and which I can remember watching when I was young. The TV series, with Robert Urich, was as much for the gals as for the guys but I would say this book would appeal more to the male reader.

I enjoyed it though and if you do, there are so many more in the series to chose from...

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

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